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With just a few weeks until a historic presidential election, political anxiety has reached fever pitch. Four months ago, Hers took the pulse on overall stress levels across the country and the results are eye-opening. Obviously, the political landscape has changed quite a bit in the last four months—it's been an election season marked by a series of unprecedented events: not one but two assassination attempts, a major third party candidate dropping out and endorsing one of his rivals, and of co...
The U.S. Presidential elections are approaching, and although there are many political and societal factors that may determine the outcome of an election, November 2024 may be affected by economic factors. Voters are closely monitoring the economy due to the high inflation experienced in the aftermath of COVID-19. To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates 11 times since April 2022. Although inflation has declined from its 2022 peak, it remains a concern in certain...
The sudden withdrawal of President Joe Biden for reelection has turned the presidential campaign on its head, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will now face Republican candidate Donald Trump in the November 2024 election. Harris identifies with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which seeks more radical change than "centrist" Democrats such as President Biden. As vice president, Harris has supported Biden's policies, but advocated progressive policies earlier in her career. As U....
Consumer spending habits are an important measure of economic activity, but these trends are not necessarily in lockstep nationwide. One way to observe where consumers are spending more than they did last year is by looking at their debt. This includes their credit card balances as well as the total amount of minimum monthly payments they're expected to pay on loans such as mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, auto notes, student loans, and more. Credit Card Usage and Payment Increases in...
Associate degrees offer students flexibility to achieve different educational and vocational goals. They usually take half the time of a bachelor's degree and could help you meet the academic requirements for many entry positions into a career. Community colleges that offer associate's degrees are often a more affordable option for students. However, education can still be a hefty cost at any level, so it's important to choose a school and degree program that will help you attain the knowledge a...
There's the inflation you see, and then there's the inflation you feel. Put differently, while inflation is a perennial news item, it's not always as present in the daily lives of Americans as it has been in the years since the pandemic. After more than four years of unprecedented swings in supply, production, and prices, consumers have both seen and felt inflation. While they have borne the added burdens of shortages and sharply rising prices, it's becoming clearer that prices for most things a...
Imagine driving through a bustling intersection, free from the anxiety of red lights and the risk of head-on collisions. This peaceful scenario is becoming a reality in communities across the globe, thanks to the growing popularity of roundabouts. These circular intersections, often met with skepticism or even fear, have proven to be remarkably safer than traditional intersections. Studies have shown that roundabouts can significantly reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities. In...
Big cities in America have undergone seismic shifts in recent years, largely influenced by the shift to remote work that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As white-collar workers transitioned to remote and hybrid work models, many businesses found they were no longer tied to the physical office. Workers scattered beyond cities, triggering significant changes in the housing market. The migration pattern was dubbed "the donut effect" by Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom and...
The number of Americans falling behind on their mortgage payments has risen in recent months, nearly climbing to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Netspend analyzed data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to show the uptick in homeowners falling behind on their mortgage payments since 2021. Since lows recorded in 2021, the number of homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments has risen, as evidenced by the increasing percentage of overall balances that are delinquent each...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure decreasing...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure decreasing...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure decreasing...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure...
Gasoline prices are down several cents from last week following a drop in the cost of oil. Prices, on average, are almost 40 cents lower than one year ago. Concerns that Israel would strike at Iranian oil production facilities have spooked oil markets in recent weeks. The nation reportedly is no longer considering those targets, according to CNN citing an anonymous source familiar with Israeli military planning discussions. "With the potential of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure decreasing...
On the day he would become homeless, Wesley Bryant was awoken by his wife, Alexis. "Get up," she told him. "There's a flood outside." It was 8 a.m. on a Thursday in late July, two years ago in rural Pike County, Kentucky, and rain had been pouring for days. Overnight, it got heavier. Homes and vehicles were being swept down the narrow valleys of Eastern Kentucky's mountainous terrain. Dozens of people died after more than a foot of rain fell from July 26 through July 30, 2022, flooding 13 rural...
Months after the Wisconsin Supreme Court legalized them, ballot drop boxes remain a source of deep division among public officials in communities across the battleground state, Votebeat reports. While city officials in Madison and Milwaukee embraced them early for the August primary, several communities in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties have opted out of using drop boxes for November's election, to some voters' dismay. Some clerks in Dodge County decided not to use drop boxes after the county...
If you're looking for free electric vehicle charging stations near your home or workplace, or you're wondering how to find free EV chargers while you're on the road, you're in the right place. Chances are, if you're researching public charging infrastructure, you're either driving an electric car already, or you're planning to drive one in the near future, and therefore, you're probably already aware of the benefits of this significant lifestyle change. The benefits of using EV charging...
Many factors make it hard to save money today, from the high price of groceries to the high interest rates on credit cards. Inflation. If you're feeling a pinch, you're not alone. It's difficult to afford daily expenses and to save for financial goals, like having an emergency fund. When it comes to covering a $400 unexpected expense, 37% of adults said they would have to borrow, sell something, or not be able to cover the expense, according to a 2023 survey from the Federal Reserve. And...
Fewer teenagers are using drugs after rates precipitously dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, but overdose rates are on the rise as fentanyl becomes more common. Substance Use Treatment Facilities examined data from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to determine how teen drug use varies by state and how it has changed over time. In 2023, about 1 in 5 children between the ages of 12 and 17 had used an...
With Biden's student loan forgiveness plan in limbo, here's how some borrowers may find relief In late August 2024, the latest chapter in the ongoing student debt forgiveness debate came to a close—for now—when the Supreme Court announced it would uphold a block on the Biden-Harris administration's sweeping student loan repayment plan. With an unprecedented $1.74 trillion in collective student debt, Americans are struggling with repayment. The 42.8 million borrowers with federal student loan deb...